This Was
Spoke At Her First Acquaintance With Him; But After Some Little Time She
Informed Her, That He Had Declared A Passion For Her.
He is not only
like Henricus in his person, said she, but appears to have the same
inclinations also:
- He pretends to adore me, continued she with a sigh,
and spares no vows nor presents to assure me of it: - something within
tempts me to believe him, and yet I fear to be a second time betrayed.
Ah! madam, cried Louisa, in the sincerity of her heart, I beseech you to
be cautious how you too readily give credit to the protestations of a
sex, who, by the little observations I have made, take a pride in
deceiving ours; - besides, the count de Bellfleur is of a nation where
faith, I have heard, is little to be depended on.
Those who give them that character, replied Melanthe, do them an
infinite injustice: - in politics, I allow, they have their artifices,
their subterfuges, as well as in war; but then they put them in practice
only against their enemies, or such as are likely to become
so: - wherever they love, or have a friendship, their generosity is
beyond all bounds. -
She pursued this discourse with a long detail of all she had ever read
or heard in the praise of the French, and did not forget to speak of the
prince of Conti as an instance of the gallant spirit with which that
people are animated.
Louisa knew her temper, and that it would be in vain to urge any thing
in contradiction to an inclination she found she was resolved to
indulge; but she secretly trembled for the consequence, the count having
said many amorous things to herself before he pretended any passion for
Melanthe; and tho' he had of late desisted on finding how little she was
pleased with them, yet that he had done so was sufficient to convince
her he was of a wavering disposition. Melanthe was not, however, to be
trusted with this secret; she loved him, and jealousy, added to a good
share of vanity, would, instead of engaging any grateful return for a
discovery of that nature, have made her hate the person he had once
thought of as worthy of coming in any competition with herself. She
therefore indeed thought it best not to interfere in the matter, but
leave the event wholly to chance.
The evening on the day in which this discourse had past between them,
they went to a ball, to which they had been invited by one of the
Magnifico's. The honour of the prince's company had been requested; but
he excused himself on account, as it was imagined, of his being engaged
with a certain German lady, who also being absent, gave room for this
conjecture: most of the gentlemen who had followed his highness from
France were there, among whom was the count de Bellfleur, and a young
gentleman called monsieur du Plessis, who, by a fall from his horse, had
been prevented from appearing in public since his arrival. The
gracefulness of his person, the gallant manner in which he introduced
himself, and the brilliant things he said to the ladies, on having been
so long deprived of the happiness he now enjoyed, very much attracted
the admiration of the company; but Louisa in particular thought she had
never seen any thing so perfectly agreeable: a sympathy of sentiment,
more than accident, made him chuse her for his partner in a grand dance
then leading up; and the distinction now paid her by him gave her a
secret satisfaction, which she had never known before on such an
occasion, tho' often singled out by persons in more eminent stations.
The mind which, whenever agitated by any degree of pain or pleasure,
never fails to discover itself in the eyes, now sparkled in those of
Louisa with an uncommon lustre, nor had less influence over all her
air: - her motions always perfectly easy, gentle and graceful, especially
in dancing, were now more spirituous, more alert than usual; and she so
much excelled herself, that several, who had before praised her skill in
this exercise, seemed ravished, as if they had seen something new and
unexpected: - her partner was lavish in the testimonies of his
admiration, and said, she as much excelled the ladies of his country, as
they had been allowed to excel all others.
The encomiums bestowed on her, and more particularly those she received
from him, still added fresh radiance to her eyes, and at the same time
diffused a modest blush in her checks which heightened all her
charms. - Never had she appeared so lovely as at this time; and the count
de Bellfleur, in spight of his attachment to Melanthe, felt in himself a
strong propensity to renew those addresses which her reserved behaviour
alone had made him withdraw and carry to another; but the lady to whom
for some days past he had made a shew of devoting himself was present,
and he was ashamed to give so glaring an instance of his infidelity,
which must in all probability render him the contempt of both.
This night, however, lost Melanthe the heart she had thought herself so
secure of; but little suspecting her misfortune, she treated the
inconstant count with a tenderness he was far from deserving; and having
transplanted all the affection she once had for Henricus on this new
object, told him, at a time that such discovery was least welcome to
him, that she was not insensible of his merit, nor could be ungrateful
to his passion, provided she could be convinced of the sincerity of it.
He had gone too far with her now to be able to draw back, therefore
could not avoid repeating the vows he before had made, tho' his heart
was far from giving any asient to what his tongue was obliged to utter;
but blinded by her own desires, she perceived not the change in his, and
appointed him to come the next day to her lodgings, promising to be
denied to all other company, that she might devote herself entirely
to him.
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